1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of food preparation devices. More specifically the present invention comprises a combination slicing and dicing device for processing food.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many food processing devices for producing sliced and diced food products are known in the prior art. These devices come in many different designs and configurations. One example of such a device is described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,026,691 to McArdle et al. (1936). McArdle et al. describes a cutting machine for selectively slicing, shredding, and dicing vegetables. The McArdle et al. device utilizes a food pusher and a cutting plate attached to a spindle so that when a user turns a handle, the cutting plate spins and the food pusher travels toward the cutting plate.
Another processing device is exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 4,381,687 to Reifenhauser (1983). Reifenhauser discloses a cutting device for cubing meat products. The Reifenhauser device utilizes a hopper to feed meat products in front of a rough-pressing die which pushes the meat through a series of knives. The meat is first cut into strips and is then cut into cubes.
While these devices may be well suited for a narrow range of applications, they are poorly suited for others. For example, McArdle et al.'s device would be poorly suited to cut meats and Reifenhauser's device would be poorly suite to cut vegetables. Additionally, McArdle et al.'s device requires the user to repeatedly turn the handle to process a length of vegetables. The device must then be unspooled by turning the handle in the opposite direction before it can be used again. This process is very laborious and can quickly cause the user to become fatigued.
It is therefore desirable to provide a processing device that can be used to cut both meats and vegetables and is easy to use.